


My Heart to Yours

by oichealainn (beautyofthenightmares)



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 18:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8811133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautyofthenightmares/pseuds/oichealainn
Summary: Finding a ring should not be this hard. Lucky for Graves, he's about to catch a break.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elletromil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/gifts), [BouncyBrittonie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BouncyBrittonie/gifts).



> For reference, the rings are based on these:
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/191368589/walnut-bentwood-ring-with-turquoise?ref=shop_home_active_21 (for Graves)
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/192457667/bubinga-wood-ring-with-chrysocolla-stone (for Newt)
> 
> Thanks to mockingatticus on tumblr for finding these for me!
> 
> My tumblr is here: oichealainn.tumblr.com

They don’t look like much at first glance. They’re not fancy, or adorned with precious gems. (It’s just as well, the niffler would take them in a heartbeat if they were.) They’re not flashy, but then again, neither are the wizards who wear them (most of the time at least). At first glance the rings are understated, almost plain. If one were to look a little closer they would see that the rings have a single band of blue stone that glitters subtly in the right light. But still, there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual about the rings. Very few people know better.

When he decided to propose, Graves spent a small eternity trying to decide on a ring. Nothing less than perfect would do. He visited half a dozen different shops, but none of the rings fit. All of them seemed too flashy, too ornate. They were lovely, but not what he wanted for Newt. Graves had almost given up hope of ever finding a ring when he stumbled across a little out of the way shop. 

\------------------------------

A group selling charmed items to No-Maj’s had been a thorn in Graves’ side for weeks. It was a low priority case until a teapot blew up in someone’s kitchen, then it was all hands on deck. Tracking the source of the items had been tricky, and after several long days everyone was ready to snap. After the last of the suspects had been placed in the cells, Graves sat tiredly at his desk and eyed the stack of paperwork left to do before slumping in his chair.

Tina knocked gently on his office door. “Sir, why don’t you go home. We can handle the rest of the paperwork.”

He sighed. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow Tina.”

“Tell Newt that Queenie wants the two of you to come over for lunch on Sunday okay?”

He nodded as he pulled on his coat and scarf. “I will.”

With a tired grin Tina disappeared back into the maze of desks comprising the office of MACUSA’s aurors. Graves made his way through the crowded halls, and stepped out into the crisp winter air. No-Maj’s bustled past on the sidewalk and cars trundled down the street as he paused to breathe for the first time in days. Deciding to walk rather than Apparate, he turned towards home. The overcast sky threatened snow, but the walk would give him a chance to clear his head. Graves cut down a narrow side street when an unassuming storefront caught his eye. Though the store seemed abandoned at his first look, something drew him closer.

Stepping through the door found Graves in a small shop with polished wood and glass counters stretched around the perimeter, all filled with beautiful jewelry. The air hummed softly with ambient magic as he drew closer to a display of rings along the far wall. The rings were a spectrum of designs, some metal, some wood, but all with a simple elegance that left him near breathless.  _ This, _ he thought,  _ this is what I’ve been looking for. _

“Can I help you, dear?”

Graves looked up from his perusal to see a woman in the doorway leading to the shop’s backroom. Red curls streaked with silver suggested an age not matched by her unlined face, and a faint sense of strong magic emanated from her. He straightened up from where he had been leaning on the counter and turned to face her.

“I think so, yes. I want to propose, but I haven’t been able to find a ring that feels right.”

The witch moved towards the counter. “Well, what is she like?”

Graves paused, “Actually, they’re a man.”

She glanced at him briefly before reaching for a different tray of rings. “Tell me about him then.”

With an internal sigh of relief Graves began to speak. He told her of Newt’s selflessness, his courage, his unending love for his creatures. His loyalty, how he will sometimes pull away mid-kiss because he had a new idea that demanded his attention. The way he somehow always knows when Graves loses himself to bad memories and will offer wordless comfort until he comes back to himself.

“He’s not perfect,” Graves admitted. “Then again, neither am I. But he’s perfect for me.”

Her face was contemplative. “You know, my husband was killed in the War. But he used to say, ‘Love is love, and it cannot be killed or swept aside.’ Wait here a moment dear, I think I may have something for you.”

She swept into the back room of the shop, and Graves took the opportunity to look around the store. A photograph of the witch and a man embracing each other hung on one wall. The couple wore bright smiles as they leaned their heads together, oblivious to the world around them in their joy. As he watched, the man snuck a kiss to his wife’s cheek, causing her to laugh and swat at him playfully. The sight made him smile to himself.  _ Maybe someday that will be Newt and I _ , he thought.

“Aha! I knew they were around here somewhere!”

The witch reappeared with a small box in her hands. “I had made these some time ago, but never managed to find someone who they would suit. But given your story, I think they might be just what you’re looking for.”

She opened the box to reveal a pair of wooden rings, each with a thin band of blue stone in the center. One ring had a warmer tone to the wood, which made the stone seem almost the same color as Newt’s favorite coat. The other was a darker grey finish, with a more muted blue to the stone band. They were perfect. Stroking a finger across the bands, the witch began to speak.

“These rings were carved from the same piece of wand wood. My grandfather was a wandmaker, and when I started making jewelry, he passed on a lot of the things he had learned over the years. Wand wood can be used for things other than just wands, and it tends to bring some . . . unusual qualities to whatever items are made out of them.”

She sighed, “These are made of rowan wood. Given its properties, it’s the best for protective charms. Since they were made from a single piece, the rings form a linked pair. You’ll be able to use the rings to locate each other, and if one of you is in danger, the other ring will vibrate and the stone will flash red.”

A smile crossed her face. “It’s not all dark though. You can also use the rings to let the other person know you’re thinking about them. Just rub the ring and focus on your love. Their ring will warm and glow gently.”

Graves nodded and touched the rings softly. They weren’t flashy, which was honestly a good thing when one considered that Newt had a niffler. The simplicity of the rings was exactly what he hadn’t realized he’d been looking for. “How much are they?” he asked.

She considered him for a moment. “I never thought I would find anyone that these rings would suit. But you and your love....” She shook her head. “Take them. You two live in interesting times, and I have a feeling that you’ll need them.” She pushed the box across the counter towards him.

Graves tried to protest, but she wouldn’t hear it. “No sir, my grandfather would do the same if he were still alive.” The witch glanced over at the photo of herself and her husband. “You remind me a little of my husband, you know. He wasn’t a man of many words, but he had a capacity for love that put many to shame. Please take the rings, with my blessing. I wish you two a long and happy life together.”

He tucked the box into his coat. Patting the pocket absently, he said, “Thank you. I’ll never forget this.”

She grinned at him mischievously. “Don’t you have a proposal to make dear? Run along now.”

Graves made his way out into the alley. He turned back to the storefront as the door clicked closed behind him, but found himself looking at a blank wall. Befuddled, he stared blankly before he reached into his pocket worriedly. The box he found there proved he hadn’t been dreaming, but no amount of tapping on the wall revealed anything out of the ordinary. Shaking his head he hurried towards home.

\-----------------------------

He made it back to the apartment he shared with Newt without any further incidents. Newt was nowhere to be seen, but his case was lying on the living room floor. After hanging his coat and scarf by the front door, he made his way down into Newt’s domain. Diricrawls popped past his feet as he walked out of the potions shed into the preserve proper. “Newt, where are you?”

“Over here Percival!”

Newt appeared from the occamies’ habitat with Dougal wrapped around his shoulders. The demiguise’s eyes flashed blue, and he looked at Percival with what almost passed for a smug expression before he dropped to the ground and wandered off.

“Everything went well today?”

Graves wrapped Newt in an embrace, the first shared between the two since the case broke at the beginning of the week. Resting his cheek against Newt’s shoulder he sighed, “Yes. We finally managed to round up everyone involved, and the last of the charmed items are off the streets.”

Newt kissed him gently. “I’m glad. Maybe now you can have a bit of a break,” he ventured hopefully.

“Perhaps. So what have you been up to since I was last home?”

Newt launched into a story about some mischief Dougal and Gidget had gotten into complete with animated gestures and expressions. Graves just watched him fondly as Newt spun off into his own little world.  _ I wasn’t planning on doing this today, but no time like the present. _

He pulled the ring box from his pocket and knelt behind Newt, waiting for Newt to finish his story. Newt eventually wound the tale to a close and turned back to where Graves had been. He blinked confusedly at the space Graves had previously occupied before his eyes found Graves kneeling before him. “Percival, what...?”

Graves cleared his throat and began, “Newt, two years ago I thought I had everything I wanted. And then I met you.” He swallowed hard. “You turned my world completely upside down, and all for the better. You make me unbelievably happy, and I can’t imagine being without you now. Would you make me the happiest of men? Newt, will you marry me?”

Newt gasped. One trembling hand came up to cover his mouth and tears gathered at the corners of his cerulean eyes. “Yes,” he sobbed. “Yes, Percival, yes!” He launched himself into Graves’ arms, bowling them both to the ground. Graves laughed though the kisses Newt planted on his face. He threaded one hand into Newt’s auburn curls and kissed him soundly, gradually lightening the kiss until he could lean his forehead against Newt’s. 

“You’re amazing Mr Scamander.”

“I think you’ll find that you’re quite incredible yourself Mr Graves.” Newt finally sat up, pulling Graves with him. Graves slipped the warmer toned ring onto Newt’s finger, admiring the way the blue stone sparkled in the light. Newt plucked the other ring from the box and slid it onto Graves hand. Together they stood and exited the case, looking forward to whatever the future might bring.

(Unbeknownst to either of them, Dougal and Gidget were congratulating each other on a job well done. It had taken the creatures long enough to get the two wizards together, so their excitement was understandable.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I used a LMM quote, I couldn't resist :)
> 
> Thanks go to Elle and Britt for inspiring this fic and helping push me to finish it. You two are amazing and I love you.


End file.
